The Hidden Secrets
by Auriana
Summary: A woman looks back on her decisions and how they affected her cousin. One shot. AN at end.
1. Default Chapter

The Hidden Secrets  
  
There was a girl sitting on the sorting stool. She was wearing tight jeans and a plain green shirt. Her brown hair was done up in a high ponytail. While only two small strands were hanging down on the sides of her cheeks. She looked smart with her thin, straight glasses and pressed clothing.  
  
The girl had transferred to Hogwarts at the beginning of the summer vacation from a little boarding school in France. She was to be in her Seventh year and to be Head Girl. The girl was only fourteen, but she was talented beyond her years. This was why she was in her seventh year instead of her fourth.  
  
The Sorting Hat was placed upon her head by the Deputy Headmistress. The girl's fingernails clutching the edge of the stool were the only give-away of her apprehension. She hoped with all her might to be in Ravenclaw, for everyone had always said that she was a very smart and gifted child. And she believed that. She knew that she was smart and gifted. They also said she was a brave child. She did not think she was brave.  
  
The Sorting Hat shouted and the applause broke out. The girl sat rooted to her spot. The Hat had said Gryffindor! Slowly she got up and took off the hat and walked down to the table on the far right.  
  
She sat down as a scrawny boy was called up. She looked at him as the sorting hat called out "SLYTHERIN!" Stared at the little boy for a moment, unable to place his face to a memory. She knew she had met him somewhere, even if it was a long time ago.  
  
She smiled. That scrawny boy was her cousin. Of course, how could she have forgotten. She would always tease him and he would pull on her hair.  
  
And when she would be out watering her garden and he would come along, she would squirt him with the hose. She smiled again, remembering the day when she had accidentally gotten him wet when he had on a very nice Sunday suit. That had gotten her into a lot of trouble. But, the next day, her cousin had poured a bucket of ice could water over her head. This had resulted in grounding for the both of them.  
  
Many hours later, she found herself awaking in her new dorm room. It was lightning outside and her window was open. She got up to close it when she saw a small owl sitting on the ledge. Frowning, she took the letter from the owl's legs and read it very quickly.  
  
My Dear Cousin,  
  
I wish to congratulate you upon being sorted into Gryffindor. Though I must admit, I was very surprised when you did actually sort into any house at all. I do hope you will make friends, though if you would please make a list for me so I can be even more surprised. I did notice that the Headmaster was very interested in both of us, for while we were being sorted he continued to look at us as if he new us.  
  
I regret to say that I must go now. Love, your cousin.  
  
Glancing at the clock, the girl groaned, mumbling under her breath at her cousin's horrid remarkable lack of knowledge at what time it was. She stood, and walked over to her trunk, trying not to make a sound. After tripping over a book lying on the floor, she remembered that she had her own rooms, seeing as she was Head Girl.  
  
Sighing at her own stupidity, the girl waved her wand and the room lit up. She gasped, looking around the room the girl saw that everything was strewn about as if some one had been looking for something. Grabbing a quill, the girl immediately decided that her cousin had done it as a prank. He was also doing something to mess with her mind a bit.  
  
Sitting down, she started to write her reply at the bottom of his letter. Dear Cousin,  
  
I wish to congratulate you on making the very power-hungry house of Slytherin. Sytherin seems to fit your persona. Were you in my room this night? For all my things were strewn about my room. Maybe it was a house elf. You know, some of them are rather clumsy. Oh, well. If you do make any friends, please tell me so I can warn them to stay away from you. Well, good night, my cousin.  
  
Your cousin.  
  
She smiled as she tied the letter to the owl's leg. The owl flew out the window just before she shut it. The girl looked at her bed and the covers that had been torn off during the night, most likely from a nightmare. Then she looked back around her room, from the books and clothing on the floor to her homework lying crumpled under her belongings. Sighing, she started to pick up the mess she had probably made with she was sleeping. She had the odd habit of sleepwalking.  
  
She was glad that she didn't have to share a dorm room with anyone. She paused with "A Very Advanced Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch" in her hand thinking about why she had her own room. Yes she was Head Girl, but from what she had read, the Head's had the choice of their own room or their old dorm. She hadn't had to choice and that was making her rather uneasy. Was it because she wasn't supposed to be in Gryffindor? And the Sorting Hat had made a mistake? She put the book back on the self and crossed over to her bed. She climbed under the warm covers and feel asleep still thinking about her room.  
  
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~  
  
A middle-aged woman awoke at dawn. Her bed covers were strewn about the chamber floor. Her nightstand was knocked over and a half open book next to her face. She sat up quickly and put her palm to her forehead.  
  
Groaning, she got up out of her bed and placed her nightstand upright with the book she had been reading the night before now lying on the top. She made her bed and crossed over to the dresser. After picking out a green robe and green cloak, she turned on her CD player and filled up the bathtub with hot, steamy water.  
  
Humming along with the song, some seventies music, she thought about the dream she had had. It was one of her "lost memories". One that she had not thought about for over 50 years. She had locked away all those memories but somehow they kept coming back, like some kind of subconscious warning or something. She steered clear away from Divination, but this time, she thought she was on to something.  
  
There was a knock on her door, jarring her out of her thought. She took out her wand and silenced her CD player. She scrambled around, trying to find a night gown to change into, in place of her women's boxer shorts and a red t- shirt. She changed as the person knocked again, this time calling out her name.  
  
"I'm coming!" She yelled back as she thrust the clothes into her dresser and pulled out her brush. She pulled back her hair in to a bun and loosened the bun up so it looked like she had slept like that.  
  
She yanked open the door to find her cousin standing there with another elderly man with him. The elderly man blushed when he saw her outfit.  
  
The woman held up her hand and shut the door. She quickly changed into a green robe and black cloak. She opened the door and walked out, her heart beating fast from the rush. Her cousin greeted her and showed her to the drawing room. In the drawing room sat the elderly man. Her cousin introduced him as Albus Dumbledore, the newly appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts.  
  
Dumbledore stood and greeted her. His blue, twinkling eyes searched her through. Smiling, she sat down as her cousin closed the door.  
  
Dumbledore spoke, "As you know, these are hard times. Many people are being prosecuted by those of non magic decent. The Malfoys have formed some kind of group. A group that like to call themselves Death Eaters..."  
  
Dumbledore went on, but everything was blocked out as she thought about those Death Eaters. 'I've heard about those. Lets see, where have I...? Ah yes, my cousin talks about them constantly. He seems to like them very much, of which I am glad. For it was my doing that had him involved in the group...'  
  
Dumbledore brought her out of her thoughts with a crash. "These Death Eaters are raiding the villages, killing off the children, taking the men, and... Eh... having their way with the women." Blushing slightly, he paused.  
  
She sat there frozen. How could she have been so stupid as to not trust her instincts when she had met the Malfoy man. She had known that he was not a nice man, but she did not think he would do such a thing. Oh, she was so stupid.  
  
Albus Dumbledore patted her hand in comfort fro a minute before he went on. "I was wondering if you would mind teaching at Hogwarts. I have a vacant spot and you would do wonderfully at it. What do you say?"  
  
The woman thought for a moment, before nodding her head, still unable to speak in her sock and disgust. Albus Dumbledore, knowing what was going through the woman's head, patted her hand one last time before departing.  
  
Her cousin came back minutes later from having escorted the Headmaster out. She stood up and embraced him in a hug. He stood there for awhile before gently tapping his cousin on the shoulder. She jerked back and he could see tears streaming down her face.  
  
He started to say something but was hushed by his cousin. She spoke, "I'm so sorry! I never meant for you to join. I was just very upset and wanted you to go away. I thought that you would know that I was joking! I never meant to harm you! I..."  
  
She trailed of as her cousin pressed a finger on her upper lip. He smiled at her, "It's okay. Albus has fixed everything. I'm okay. There's no need for you to worry!"  
  
She nodded her head and wiped the tears on her cloak.  
  
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~  
  
An old woman awoke, sweating, in her crimson and gold colored bed from her recently reoccurring dreams. She sat up stiffly and went to dress in a green robe with her hair pulled back in a tight bun.  
  
Walking swiftly out of her chambers, the woman headed towards the Great Hall. She arrived at the staff table just in time to her Albus Dumbledore's newest candy password to his office. She worked very hard not to roll her eyes at him and lose her strict persona in front of the students.  
  
Suddenly, the hall doors slammed open and a tall man, dressed only in black with a black cape billowing out behind him, strode in. He glared at everyone as he passed them on his way to the staff table. Some one near by the woman whispered something like, "He always does have to enter with a bang, doesn't he?" as the man sat down.  
  
A nagging felling swelled up in the woman's stomach as he sat down. She knew she had to talk to him, but she decided, for the first time in the last fifty years, to wait the little chat off for awhile.  
  
By the end of the day, she knew that if she put off her talk any longer, she would end up in the hospital wing for the night. She walked down to his chambers slowly, afraid of what he might say to her. Of what he might do to her.  
  
Before she could tell herself that he would not do anything to hurt her, she arrived at his door. Mustering up her Gryffindor courage, the woman knocked on the door and heard an "Enter" in reply.  
  
She opened the door, took a deep breath, and walked in closing the door behind her. The man did not look up, so she stepped forward and started speaking.  
  
"I am so sorry. I never meant to grow away from you, get you involved in that group, to get so distant from you-" The man looked up, frowning.  
  
"What are you talking about?" The man asked, sounding genuinely worried.  
  
"I am talking about our past. I am talking about when I told you to "sod of" and go join the Death Eaters. I am talking about when you joined the dark side and how I did not try to stop you or help you come back. I am talking about when you came over the the light side and how I did not visit you or talk to you or accept you into our side. I am talking about when I decided that we should not be friends anymore and when I broke your heart by walking away from our friendship and bond. I am talking about when I did not comfort you when you lost your family. I am talking about when I was not there in your life to help you through like we had promised to do so long ago. I am talking about when I thought you a traitor and did not care to let you redeem yourself. I am talking about-"  
  
The woman broke down then and cried, hands wiping at her tears futilely. She kept here eyes on the ground, not daring to look up. A strong hand found its way to her cheek and pulled her face upwards to him. The man took his other hand and brushed away her tears.  
  
"I know you are sorry. I did not know that before, but I know that now. Do not dwell in the mistakes and choices of the past. The gods know I do that enough for the both of us."  
  
That got a smile out of the woman. "I am sorry. I never meant to go away or do any of the aforementioned things I did. I am sorry."  
  
"As am I, as am I." The man replied, letting go of the woman's face.  
  
"You still can't say sorry, can you?" The woman snapped back at him, her overwhelming sadness replaced with a burning anger at the man before her. "How dare you? I come here and tell you that I am sorry for everything I ever did to hurt you and you don't even say that you are sorry, too? You have done far worse things, but you can't even say sorry to your own cousin? You are pathetic!"  
  
With that, the woman ran out the door, her heels clapping on the stone floor. The man stared at her retreating back before running after her.  
  
"Get back here, woman! We need to talk!" As the two professors ran through the corridors, the students stopped and stared in awe at the two most strict teachers in Hogwarts. Both of which were running through the halls yelling at each other.  
  
"No! You can't even say that you are sorry? Why should I talk to you?" "We need to talk! I will say it just not here!"  
  
"Where is here?"  
  
"Here!" The man gestured around widely. "In public."  
  
The two had both stopped at the words in public right in front of the Great Hall doors. "Do it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, do it. Say that you're sorry right here and now. In public. Show everyone that you do have a soul. Show me that you are sorry enough to say it in public. Show me you're sorry." The woman's face was set with determination as she stared up at her cousin.  
  
The man glanced around, feeling somewhat awkward, before staring right into her eyes. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I am sorry, my dear cousin." The man looked away as he finished speaking.  
  
The woman threw herself at the man and hugged him deeply. The man stood their, even more awkward for a moment before decided that a hug would not be so bad after being seen chasing the woman through the halls.  
  
"Severus, my dear cousin, I love you." The woman whispered into the mans chest as he hugged her back gently.  
  
"I- I love you too, my dear cousin. I do love you, Minerva, I really do." The man said, his lips brushing her ear. The woman smiled into his chest and to any onlookers shock and awe, the man smiled, too. The first smile in many years, and the first of many to come. A burden was lifted off the two cousin's shoulders that they had carried for many years.  
  
"Minerva?" The man asked as another minute went by and she had still been hugging him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you know how it may look from a different point of view to see me hugging a very old witch?" He replied, smirking into her hair.  
  
"I am not old. I just look it because you and I had never made up and I had that weight in my shoulder all these years!" She replied, scoffing him as she released her grasp on him.  
  
"Yes, well." The man replied, still smirking at her.  
  
"I am only a few years older then you, Severus! Besides, I am a woman, so watch your tongue!" The woman huffed at him.  
  
"You are not a woman, you are an annoying wench of a cousin!"  
  
The woman smacked him around his head and proceeded to take fifty points off of Slytherin for "offensive language in front of a woman." The woman did in fact look much younger after the "moment" in front of the Great Hall. She and her cousin were seen together mush more and they each seemed to relax around each other. But only a little, for they did have strict reputations to uphold.  
  
The End.  
  
Authors Note: Do you think I should have not given the names? Do the "clues" point to those two teachers or should I keep them in? I do not really know which to do! If you have an idea for me, please feel free to tell me. I would like to here everything! Thank you! Review would be nice! And constructive criticism. 


	2. Author's Note

Author's Note: Okay, that was the story. I do not own anything except the plot. The High Queen Rowling owns the rest, including our dearest Severus! The plot is mine. I hope you found this story interesting. Though, you should read a bit of my others. They are:  
  
Magic Incarnate (title will be changed!) Summary: It is the Golden Trio's last year at Hogwarts. There is a new DADA teacher. No one knows anything about her or her family, who seem to be trying to kill her. Pairings are somewhat different. Rated for language and suggestions.  
  
Meminerunt Omnia Amantes Summary: Filch needs someone to love and someone wants to love him. One shot. Crazy, I know. R&R thanky!  
  
My fourth fic is no longer a fic. I have lost interest in it. Actually, I never did like it to begin with. I just needed to post something when I joined this fantastic site. Also, I have just started to write two other stories. They will be up soon. Maybe, I think I will wait till I finish writing them before I post them. Hmmmm. Yes, anyway.  
  
Just for a little taste of my new stories:  
  
The Bloody Days: The women finally get their revenge on the men after all those years. Gods, demons, faeries, nymphs, and the likes do exist and they get involved in the "war" between men and women.  
  
*Insert Title Here*: A woman sneaks into Hogwarts in the dead of the night. She acts a lot like Professor Snape and seems to know a heck of a lot about everyone. But no one except the Golden Trio know about her. That is, until the teachers stumble upon the Golden Trio and "friend" talking. The rest shall unfold.  
  
Okay, The Bloody Days I started and am moving right along. But I do not know if I want to post it or even finish it. I do not have mush faith in a story of its- likes. The *Insert Title Here* story I have only started a day ago and have not written much, except for the plot. Normally, I do not write the plot out ahead of time but I felt compelled to with this one. 


End file.
